Cam actuated movable jaw wrench



Oct. 8, 1957 R. E. PEARSALL 2,808,752

CAM ACTUATED MOVABLE JAW WRENCH Filed Feb'. 23, 195e INVENTOR i R4.E,Pearsajl V WHW United States CAM ACTUATED MOVABLE JAW WRENCH Roy E.Pearsall, Nowata, Okla. Application February 23, 1956, Serial No.567,244

3 Claims. (Cl. 81-361) This invention relates to a novel wrench having astationary jaw and a movable jaw and including a novel actuator fordisplacing the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw by a combinationsliding and rocking motion of the movable jaw to cause the jaws to coactfor effectively gripping therebetween an element to be held or turned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of theaforedescribed character including spring means urging the movable jawto an open position and which is adapted to cooperate with the manuallyactuated means by which the movable jaw is displaced toward a closedposition, to enable the Wrench to be readily manipulated with one handas readily as a pair of pliers yet to provide a wrench which will veryeiectively grip an element to be held or turned thereby.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of theaforedescribed character having novel means cooperating with the springmeans of the movable jaw for adjusting the fully open and fully closedpositions of the movable jaw to enable the wrench to effectively engageelements of a plurality of sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wrench possessing theaforedescribed characteristics yet which is of extremely simpleconstruction capable o-f being very economically manufactured and soldand which will be extremely durable and eicient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawing,illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational View, partly broken away and partly insection and showing the wrench in an open position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged `fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure l,and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the wrench, partly inelevation, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the cam actuated movable jawwrench in its entirety and comprising the invention is designatedgenerally 5 and includes an elongated handle 6 of channel shaped crosssection, except for the end portions thereof, which is open along theinner edge 7 thereof. The handle 6 is provided with an angular extension8 at a forward end thereof which projects from an end of the open inneredge 7. The extension 8 forms a stationary jaw and has an inner edge orside thereof a jaw face 9 which faces toward the other rear end of thehandle 6. The rear end of the handle 6 is defined by an internallythreaded tubular portion 10. A guide sleeve 11 is suitably secured inthe handle 6, by soldering or welding, as seen at 12. Said guide sleeve11 is disposed forwardly of but adjacent the tubular portion 10 and hasits bore in alignment with the bore of said tubular portion. The forwardend of the guide sleeve 11 is provided with a rearwardly opening hook 13which is disposed between said guide sleeve and the open inner edge 7.

A metal strap 14 is bent to engage loosely around the handle 6 and hasend portions extending from the open inner edge 7 and which straddle aportion of a movable jaw member 15. Said portion 16 of the movable jawmember 15 is secured in any suitable manner to the end portions of thestrap 14 and is disposed beyond said open inner edge 7 of the handle, tocombine with the strap 14 to provide a sleeve which loosely engagesslidably on the handle 6. The jaw member 15 is provided with a jaw face17 which faces toward the jaw face 9. The jaw portion 16, remote fromthe jaw face 17, is provided with an opening 18. The back edge 19 of thestrap 14, which is disposed remote from the forward end of the wrench 5,is inclined on complementary opposite sides thereof, as seenin fulllines in Figure 1 and in dotted lines in Figure 3, in a direction awayfrom the forward end of the wrench, from the outer toward` the innerside of the handle 6. y

One end of a contractile coiled spring 20 is secured to the hook 13. Thespring 20 extends forwardly from the hook 13 and is disposed in thechannel of the handle 6 and has its opposite forward end connected to arear end of a link 21. The forward end of the link 21 is attached to themovable jaw 15 and the sleeve member 14, 16 thereof by engaging throughthe opening 18, for urging the movable jaw to slide rearwardly of thehandle 6 away from the stationary jaw 8 and to additionally urge saidsleeve member and movable jaw to rock relative to the handle 6 in adirection so that the jaw face 17 will swing away from the jaw face 9.

The complementary side Walls 6a of the handle 6 are provided withcomplementary elongated slots 22 which extend longitudinally of thehandle 6 and which are disposed between its forward end and the guidesleeve 11. A rod 23 extends slidably through the guide sleeve 11 and isloosely disposed for sliding movement longitudinally in the channel ofthe handle 6. The rod 23 has an eye 24 at its forward end which isdisposedr between the slots 22.

A lever, designated generally 25, comprises an elongated handle portion26 of channel shaped cross section and a head which extends from one endof the handle portion 26 and which comprises complementary spacedsubstantially parallel head portions 27 which loosely straddle a part ofthe handle 6. A rivet or similar fastening 28 extends loosely throughcomplementary parts of the head portions 27, through the slots 22 andthrough the eye 24 to swingably connect the lever 25 to the handle 6 andalso to permit the lever 25 to slide longif tudinally relative to saidhandle, due to the fact that the rivet 28 slidably engages the slots 22.The head portions 27 each includes a substantially straight edge 29which is disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of thelever 25 and which is spaced a substantial distance from the lever pivot28. The head portions 27 also include complementary rounded noses whichextend from the outer ends of the straight edges 29 and which noses 3l)are spaced a substantial distance `from the pivot 28 and project fromthe edges 29 at an angle in excess of as best seen in Figure 3. Y

A bolt 31 is threaded forwardly through the boreV of the tubular portion10 and has its forward end bearing against the rear end of the rod 23,as seen in Figure l. i The bolt or screw 31 has a knurledhead 32 at itsrear end by means of which said bolt or screw can be manually adjustedin the tubular portion 10. In the openv position of the wrench 5, asbest illustrated in Figure l', the handle 26 extends from the open edge7 of the handleV 6 and at a substantial angle thereto, and -thestraight;V edges 29 of said lever 25 are disposed in opposed relation tothe rear edges 19 of the strap member 14. Said edges 19 are held againstthe edges 29 by the tension f the spring 20 which tends to move saidstrap member and the jaw 15, tbe lever 2S and Vthe rod` 23 toward therear end of the wrench, so that the rear end of the rod 23 is heldagainst the forward .end of' the adjusting screw 31, as seen rin Figurel. Since the link 21 connects` with the jaw portion 16v outwardly withrespect to the inner open edge 7, the pull exerted on-the jaw 1`5 andstrap 14 tends to cause said jaw and strap to rockrcounterclockwise asseen in Figure '1' relative to the handle 6, so thatthe jaw face 1Tisswung away'from the jaw face 9.

In using the wrench 5,. the back or. outer edge of the handle portion 6is engaged in the palm of the hand, adjacent the rear end of saidhandleportion, and the ngers .of the same handV engage around the outer edgeofthe lever handle 26. By application-of a squeezing force, the handle 26can be swungtoward the handle 6 by ,a rocking, movement ofthe lever 2Sin a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 28, tov or beyond theposition ofthe handle 26' as seen in FigureA 3, from its open positionof Figure 1. The openi edge of the lever handle 26 constitutes the inneredge thereof and faces toward the open inner edge 7 of the wrench handle6. The sides of the lever handle 26 are spaced apart a sufcient distanceto straddle the wrench 4handle 6v as the lever handle is swung towardthe wrench handle, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Y

As the lever 25 is swung counterclockwise about its pivot 28 from itsposition of Figure l to vits position of Figure 3, the tips of the noses3U which merge with the outer ends of the straight edges 29 will ridethe inclined rear edges 19 of the strap 14 for displacing said strap andthe movable jaw from right to left toward the forward end of the wrenchkas defined by the stationary jaw 8. As the tips of the-nose portions 30approach the jaw portion 16 the pressure exerted thereby against theedge portions 19 will cause the strap member and jaw 15 to rockclockwise on the handle 6,` from the position of said parts as seen inFigure l to the position thereof as seen in Figure 3, to swing the jawface 17 toward the jaw face 9, due to the loose fitting engagement ofthe strap member 14 and the jaw portion 16 with the handle 6. Thus, thecounterclockwise swinging movement of the lever 2S initially causes thesleeve member and movable jaw to slide toward the stationary jaw andthereafter causes the movable jaw to both slide and swing toward thestationary jaw to effect a tight gripping engagement with an element,not shown, disposed between the jaw faces 9 and 17 and which is to beheld or turned. lt will be obvious that so long as the grippingengagement is maintained on the handles 6 and 26 that the jaw 15 will bemaintained in its closed position relative to the jaw 8, as seen inFigure 3. When this gripping pressure is released, after a slightswinging movement of the lever 2S clockwise from its position of Figure3,Y the tension of the spring 20 will cause the lever 25 to swing backto its open position of Figure 1 by a camming engagement of the edges 19with the tips of the nose portions 30.

With the lever in its open position of Figure 1, the screw 31 maybeturned in one direction for advancing it forwardly through the tube 10for displacing the rod 23 forwardly or from right to left. The lever 2Swill also be displaced forwardl;I or from right toleft to thus move thestrap member 14 and jaw 15 toward the jaw 3 for reducing the spacingbetween the jaw faces'9 and 17, in an open position `of tbe wrench 5.By` turning the screw 31 in the opposite direction, said screw will bedisplaced rearwardly of the wrench 5 or from left to right. When thisoccurs, the tension of the spring 2t? will pull the jaw 1S away from thejaw 8 to increase the spacing between the jaw faces 9 and 17, in theopen position of the wrench. The strap member 14 will move from left toright with the jaw 15 thus pushingt the lever 25' and rod 23 rearwardlyor to the right.

Various modications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: n

l. A wrench comprisingt anelongated handle having a forward end and-arearward end, :1V-stationary jaw extending at an angle from the forwardendV of said handle, a movable jaw, movable jawcarrying means mounted onsaid handle and supporti-ng said movableV jaw in opposed relation to thestationary jaw, said jaw carrying means being slidably disposed on `thehandle for -movement of the movable jaw carried thereby toward and awayfrom the stationary jaw, a lever, pivot means swingably mounting saidlever adjacent one end thereof on the handle and between said jawcarrying means andthe rearward end of the handle, said lever having, anend portion located adjacent the pivot means thereof for engaging aportion of said movable jaw carrying means,

the other longer endof said .lever forminga handle portion swingablymovable toward the rearward end of the wrench handle to cause said leverend portion1 by a.,

camming engagement with the movable jaw carrying means, to displacesaid' jaw carrying means and the` movable jaw along the wrench handletoward the stationary jaw, said movable jaw carrying means looselyengaging the wrench handle for rocking movement thereof and of themovable jaw therewith relative to the wrench handle in directions towardand away from the stationary jaw, said end portion Vvof the lever beingswingably movable across the wrench handle,` as. the jaw carrying meansand, movable jaw are displaced toward the stationary jaw thereby, tocause said lever end portion to rock the jaw carrying means .and movablejaw toward the stationary jaw as the movable jaw approaches the`extremity of its movement toward the stationary jaw.

2. A wrench comprising an elongated wrench handle having a forwardendand a rearward end, av stationary jaw extending at an angle from theforward end of the wrench handle, a 'movable' jaw having a sleeveportion slidably and swingably supported on the wrench Vhandle forsliding and swinging movement of said movable jaw relative to the wrenchhandle in directions. toward and away from the stationary jaw, a leverswingably mounted on said Wrench handle between saidsleeve portion andthe rearward end of the wrench handle and having a rounded cam noselocated adjacent the lever pivot, said cam nose slidably engaging saidsleeve portion when the rearward end ofthe wrench handle, said wrenchhandle Y having an inner edge from which the movable jaw projects, andspring means connected to the wrench handle near the rearward endthereof and to the movable jaw at a point spaced outwardly from theinner edge of the wrench handle for urging the .movable jaw to swingandv slide away from the stationary-jaw.

3. A wrench comprising an elongated handle having a forward end and aYrearward end, a stationary jaw extending at .an angle from the forwardend of said handle, a movable jaw, movable jaw carrying means looselymounted on said handle and supporting said movable jaw in opposedrelation tothe stationary jaw for sliding and swinging movement. of themovable jaw toward and awayfrom the stationary jaw, a lever, pivot meansswingably mounting said lever adjacent -one end thereof on thewrenchhandle-and between said jaw carrying means and the rearward end ofthe handle, said lever having. an end portion located adjacent the pivotmeans thereof for engaging a portion of said :jaw carrying means, theother end of said lever forming a handle portion swingably movabletoward the rearward end of the wrench handle to cause said lever endportion, by a camming engagement with the movable jaw carrying means, todisplace said jaw carrying means and the movable jaw along the wrenchhandle toward the stationary jaw, said end portion of the lever beingswingably movable across the Wrench handle, as the jaw carrying meansand movable jaw are displaced toward the stationary.

jaw thereby, to cause said lever end portion to rock the 10 jaw carryingmeans and movable jaw toward the stationary jaw as the movable jawapproaches the extremity of its movement toward the stationary jaw, saidwrench handle including an inner edge, said movable jaw extendingoutwardly from said inner edge of the wrench handle, and spring meansconnected to the wrench handle and to said movable jaw, said springmeans being connected to the movable jaw outwardly with respect to saidinner edge of the wrench handle for urging the movable jaw and said jawcarrying means to slide and swing away from the stationary jaw.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 134,440Roache Dec. 3l, 1872 817,701 Floto Apr. 10, 1906 1,042,777 FernandezOct. 29, 19112 1,332,140 Norgord Feb. 24, 1920 1,391,898 Kettler Sept.27, 1921 2,628,521 Berglund et al. Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 319,498Germany Mar. 9, 1920

